U.S. ARMY GARRISON-WIESBADEN, Germany— In alignment with guidance from the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, personnel who test positive for COVID-19 will isolate for at least 14 days
following the onset of symptoms.
If a person is no longer experiencing symptoms at the end of the 14 day period, U.S. Army Europe
medical personnel will test them again to see if traces of the virus are still present. If a person is still
experiencing symptoms, an additional week of isolation is required.
A public health worker, functioning under the authority of a supervising garrison public health
emergency officer, is authorized to release a positive individual or those identified to have a person
under investigation status.
“Per CDC guidance, we wait until individuals have tested negative twice before releasing them, “ Maj.
Joel Osterhout, a public health emergency officer at Wiesbaden Army Medical Clinic said.
If an individual tests positive and lives with a roommate, they must separate to reduce the risk of
spreading it. At that point, roommates should quarantine and monitor for symptoms.
“Once that person is tested, they would become a Person Under Investigation,” Osterhout said. “They
are put on isolation for 14 days starting from the onset of symptoms. Even if that test is negative, they
continue to stay in quarantine for 14 days.”
If, at the end of 14 days, they have been free of symptoms for three consecutive days, they will likely be
reviewed for release from self-isolation.
While individuals are quarantined, self-isolated, or on restriction of movement, it is the responsibility of
the individual’s unit to provide support and make sure their basic needs are met.
According to the U.S. Army Europe COVID-19 Q&A web page, family members who have been in contact
with a COVID-19 positive individual but don’t have symptoms will be placed under restriction of
movement status and will be isolated for 14 days from the date of exposure.
If at the end of 14 days they have been symptom free for three consecutive days, public health
personnel will recommend release. Release authority is the first battalion commander in their chain of
command or colonel-level staff supervisor in the supervisory chain of command.
To find the U.S. Army Europe COVID-19 Q&A web page and other COVID-19 related information, visit the
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